HERE & NOW

I have to admit; this particular pot really tests my memory. If memory serves me correctly, this pot was fired while I was at the studio of Kohyama Yasuhisa back in 1993 and the bio and box signature at least add some credence to that thought. Back in 1993, the use of 35mm slide and regular film did not afford one the option to takes hundreds and hundreds of photos so I was a bit careful about what I photographed and sketched but pots of this form and size tend to stand out in my memory and searching out old photos and images has proved fruitless to date.  

At any rate, here is a classic Shigaraki (haikaburi) mentori henko by Kohyama Yasuhisa circa 1993, the form is rather strong and simple yet it cuts a rather imposing figure sitting on a shelf or desktop. The form is ever so slightly articulated by the impressions, the marks created by the wire cutting process that has been accentuated during the firing. There are distinct “zones” of ash fall with the shoulder and mouth receiving the heaviest amount of buildup down to the base which shows evidence of sitting in a small amount of charcoal during the firing. Also as you can see in the photo, the mouth of the vase is large and well supported by the broad nature of the overall base, body of the piece. In reality, it doesn’t really matter when and where but rather that I had the chance to see and study the piece in the here and now.